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Catch of the Week

This archive includes posts from our “Catch of the Week” series, in which the Whistleblower Insider blog highlights particular government enforcement actions.  Return to:

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COVID-19 Frauds of the Week: Fake Employees and Fake Treatments

Posted  07/17/20
handcuffs on a gavel with money scattered around
Taxpayers, rightfully upset about large companies such as Shake Shack and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse claiming large sums of Paycheck Protection Program money from the Small Business Administration, should consider shifting some of their ire to applicants posing as the original intended recipients—small businesses—who are getting in on the grift. And for fraudsters who prefer to market unproven products rather than...

Tagged in: Catch of the Week, COVID-19, Government Procurement Fraud, Misrepresentations,

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COVID Frauds of the Week: Fraud on the PPP

Posted  06/26/20
hundared dollar bill zoomed in to president's face
This week’s COVID-19 frauds centered on (temporarily) successful attempts to receive Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds for nonexistent companies and fabricated or inflated employee headcounts. First up is the owner of a wedding planning company that sought personal enrichment via more than $3 million in forgivable PPP loans for his 120 nonexistent employees. Fahad Shah, 44, of Murphy, Texas, was arrested...

Tagged in: Catch of the Week, COVID-19, FCA Federal, Financial and Investment Fraud, Financial Institution Fraud, Government Loan Programs, Importance of Whistleblowers, Legislation and Regulation News,

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COVID Frauds of the Week: Consumer and Investor Fraud

Posted  06/18/20
tiles spelling out lockdown
Scammers continue to prey on the vulnerable during the COVID-19 crisis, and thankfully, they continue to get busted for it.  This week, the enforcement highlights centered on consumer and investor fraud, although there are surely numerous other kinds of fraud that have not yet been stopped. The Federal Trade Commission this week announced that it had taken legal action to try to shut down a remarkably (and...

Tagged in: Catch of the Week, COVID-19, Financial and Investment Fraud, Importance of Whistleblowers,

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DOJ Charges Healthcare CEO with Criminal Securities and Healthcare Fraud

Posted  06/12/20
Hands in handcuffs behind back of white man in business suit
In 2008, Rahm Emanuel, then-President Obama’s chief of staff, famously said, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.  I mean, it’s an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before.”  However poorly phrased, generations of political and business leaders have understood the kernel of truth in his admonition. So have scammers and rip-off artists. We have been following the...

Tagged in: Catch of the Week, COVID-19, Criminal Proceedings, Financial and Investment Fraud, Healthcare Fraud, Laboratory and IDTF, Lack of Medical Necessity, Market Manipulation and Trading Violations, Misrepresentations, Securities Fraud,

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A COVID-19 Pesticide, Unproven Treatments, and Splashing Out On SBA’s Dime

Posted  06/5/20
statue of liberty spraying disinfectant with a mask over her mouth
The US DOJ continued its efforts to combat the sale of unproven and unregistered COVID-19 treatments and preventatives and charged purported “business owners” for CARES and PPP funds fraud this week. A Georgia woman pleaded guilty to selling an unregistered pesticide, in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Rong “Vicky” Sun, 34, of Fayetteville, Georgia, will be...

Tagged in: Catch of the Week, COVID-19, Government Programs Fraud,

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COVID Frauds of the Week: PPP, PPE, and More

Posted  05/29/20
discarded mask and glove on ground
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to batter businesses and everyday Americans, it has been one of the busiest weeks yet for the government agencies stopping fraudsters who target government relief programs.  In new cases filed this week, the government has gone after alleged bogus sales and price gouging of PPE, new frauds on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), healthcare fraud, and more.

Secret Service Busts...

Tagged in: Catch of the Week, COVID-19, Government Loan Programs, Importance of Whistleblowers, Whistleblower Eligibility,

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COVID Frauds of the Week: More Fraud on the PPP

Posted  05/22/20
accountant
As we enter our third month of nation-wide shelter-in-place efforts, fraudsters continue to exploit government relief programs. For the second week in a row, the Eastern District of Texas DOJ is going after a purported small business owner for defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Samuel Yates has been charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, and making false statements for allegedly submitting fraudulent loan...

Tagged in: Catch of the Week, COVID-19, Government Loan Programs, Importance of Whistleblowers, Whistleblower Eligibility,

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COVID Frauds of the Week: Unproven Tests, Nonexistent Equipment, Price Gouging, and $10 Million in SBA Loans

Posted  05/15/20
sample test tubes scattered around
Fraudsters continue to attempt to capitalize on anxiety and uncertainty during the pandemic by marketing unproven products and services for the prevention, treatment, or cure of COVID-19. This week, we highlight the massive FTC efforts to identify and shut down illegal activities via Warning Letters (around 100 issued to date); two new SEC actions; as well other government actions to quash sales of unproven or...

Tagged in: Catch of the Week, COVID-19, FCA Federal, Financial and Investment Fraud, Healthcare Fraud,

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COVID Frauds of the Week: First Charges for Fraud on the PPP

Posted  05/8/20
Handcuffed business-leader walking through jail.
As the COVID-19 crisis continues, so too do the reports of brazen fraud against the vulnerable and the government programs designed to help them.  Like last week, here in our new feature we will focus on some noteworthy trends in government enforcement in this unfortunate new area of fraud.

Fraud on Government Spending

Notably, we have seen the first of what will undoubtedly be many government enforcement actions...

Tagged in: Catch of the Week, COVID-19, FCA Federal, Importance of Whistleblowers, Whistleblower Eligibility, Whistleblower Rewards,

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COVID Frauds of the Week: Misrepresented Mask Inventories and Medicare Fraud

Posted  05/1/20
N95 Masks
Amid COVID-19-induced fear and hardship, fraud is on the rise. Already, the FTC has received over 18,000 reports of COVID-19 related fraud. In response, the SEC, CFTC, and other regulators announced they are on the lookout for pandemic-related fraud, and the DOJ warned would-be wrongdoers that it will not tolerate profiting off of public panic. This week, we focus on three enforcement actions brought by the...

Tagged in: Catch of the Week, COVID-19, Healthcare Fraud, Medicare, SEC Whistleblower Reward Program, Securities Fraud,

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